The Words I Choose

**Note: This was a light-hearted blog that turned into a mini-sermon, but I think it's important so I will risk the uncool points.**

After reading Susan Isaac's blog on Jesus Jargon, I started thinking about the first time I realized there was an entire vocabulary specific to the Christian faith. When you grow up like I did, in a small town down south, you do so without much exposure to diversity. I grew up thinking, quite innocently, that everyone was just like me.

I was probably around 12 years old the first summer I spent at The Cove, a Christian camp set back in the mountains of western North Carolina and run by the Billy Graham ministries. Except for getting up at the butt crack of dawn, summer camp was a blast. Oh, and they made us write letters home. Never mind the fact we were only there for a week and most of us were an hour or 2 away from home, at most. At the time, I was not a big fan of writing letters. The act of writing a good letter is truly an art form, an art form I've still not mastered, much less at 12. But if I was required to write a letter, I decided it should speak of the things I had experienced and learned at camp, especially since my parents had footed the bill.

Since I have always had a flair for the dramatic, I used colorful language. All I really remember from that letter was writing about how I had had some sort of spiritual awakening (Christian Phrase #1). I described how before camp I was dead on the inside (Christian Phrase #2) and that getting up early for devotions had lit a fire in my soul (Christian Phrase #3), I was now spiritually alive (Christian Phrase #4).

I knew the letter was crap before I sent it, but I wanted my parents to feel like they were getting their money's worth. I was a ridiculously dutiful child. No really, for years I used to ask special permission of the wait staff at various restaurants to order off the kid's menu after I was technically too old just so the bill would be cheaper.

After I had been home from camp for 2 weeks and had long since forgotten the letter I wrote, my parents received it (gotta love the USPS). Well, my parents being who they are had trouble with some of the terminology I used in my letter. Number 1 and 3 they were fine with, it was 2 and 4 that sparked our discussion. You see, apparently, the term spiritually dead was only to be used in reference to the time in one's life before they became a Christian. I, on the other hand, had accepted Jesus as my personal savior (Christian Phrase #5) when I was 5 years old. I know, I know, another story for another time. The point my parents were trying to make was that if I were to speak to someone in terms of spiritually dead or alive (why do I feel a bad Christian remake of Bon Jovi coming on?) I better be speaking of pre-5 and post-5. Pre-camp and post-camp was simply, incorrect.

**Note: The fact that my parents would take the time to explain theology to a 12 year old speaks for itself, and I am a stronger believer (Christian Phrase #6) for it. Now, I am not saying they were right about everything, but their heart's desire (Christian Phrase #7) was to raise a daughter who would follow God.**

Although at 12 all these concepts were a little to difficult to grasp, I got the message. My words were important, and how I used them would shape the perceptions people formed of me. And perceptions are all too important in the church. Notice, I didn't say the Christian faith. The only people perceptions are important too are the Christians with something to hide, or at least something they think they should hide. There are things in my life I could hide, and while I don't advertise them in the bulletin, I also don't cringe at the thought of discussing them. I have sinned a. lot. And been forgiven a. WHOLE. lot. People need to know about the forgiveness.

Most of the characters of note in the Bible had major sin issues (Christian Phrase #8) to deal with, that's a point I don't think is made often enough. David cheated and murdered to acquire Bathsheba as his wife after she was already pregnant with his child (2 Samuel 11). Arguably, the most notable shotgun wedding of all Bible history. But in 2 Samuel 12:13, David admits his sin and the prophet(?) Nathan tells him, "The Lord has taken away your sin". Peter denied Jesus 3 times, and Jesus forgave him before the sin was ever committed. Luke 22:32, "But I have prayed for you Simon (Peter), that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." That verse is amazing to me, in the space between the first and second sentences, Jesus acknowledges that Peter's faith will fail, and forgives him, only to give him a heavy responsibility in the second sentence.

Now, our logical minds would tell us you don't give the important jobs to the screw-ups. But God does that throughout the scriptures (Christian Phrase #9). We are all screw-ups, and if your not, you're hiding from yourself. That means none of us have any excuses. God seeks the broken people (Christian Phrase #10). Are you a lying, cheating murderer? I know I am, I have looked in the face of my God, turned away and run into the arms of "lovers less wild" so many times I can't even count. I have NO EXCUSE for not serving his kingdom (Christian Phrase #11), and if your a Christian, neither do you.